by T. S. Joyce
Weston chuckled and said, “Trust me. You’ll want to do it now.”
“Okay,” she said, wiping her damp cheeks. It was then that she saw Ryder. He was holding a big camera and taking pictures of them. Ryder was giving them a gift—pictures of their engagement that she could treasure for always.
Avery kissed Weston once more, and when she disengaged, he held her hand, admired the ring on her finger. It fit perfectly. With a boyish grin, he helped her up and swatted her firmly on the ass. “Go on now, or you’ll be late.”
“Late for what?”
Weston shook his head, denying her answers just like his letter promised. With a giddy laugh, she bolted down the steps, the clue clutched in her hand. She wrapped Ryder up in a big hug.
“Selfie proof that I was here for my first best friend’s big moment,” he said and turned the camera on them.
Avery cheesed so big. She’d taken a dozen selfies with Ryder for his social media over the weeks, but this was the best one.
“Oh!” he said as she ran off. “I got you something!”
She ran back as he dug in his pocket. Ryder pulled out a purple bear paw beer bottle opener, just like his and Weston’s. And now as Avery held out her hand for it, the tears were back.
“It felt right that all three of us have matching ones. You make my best friend happier than I’ve ever seen him. You’re all right, Avery Foley.” The jokester ruffled her hair as she blew out a steadying breath and tried to hold herself together.
Ryder sent her on her way, and she jogged to her car, her hands full of some of the most important trinkets of her life. The keychain that said Weston’s best friend accepted her, the letter with the next scavenger hunt clue, and the most important thing she possessed—a ring that said Weston wanted her to be his everything.
Avery sped through the backroads of Harper’s Mountains, her heart soaring as she raced for the cabins. She drove past 1010, then past Aaron’s cabin and the double cabin Weston and Ryder shared. At the top of the hill near the cliffs, she parked her car and made her way onto the sprawling porch of Harper and Wyatt’s cabin. She’d never been inside the lair of the dragon before, but Lexi, Harper, and Alana were waiting for her at the open front door.
Lexi was crying, and for a moment, Avery hesitated, uncertain. “Are you okay?” she asked.
Lexi nodded and pulled her inside where a beautiful white dress adorned with sparkling beadwork hung against the log wall.
“It’s for you,” Alana said softly.
“What?” Avery asked, fingering the gorgeous material.
“Weston bought it from me this morning. It’s the extra dress I had for my wedding. He said you didn’t want much fuss for your big day. He told us you said you wanted a wedding that didn’t take away from my big day.” Alana’s dark cheeks turned rosy, and she ducked her gaze. A tear splatted against the wooden floor. “I can’t tell you how sweet that is, but you deserve a big day, too.”
“I-I don’t understand,” Avery stammered, looking from face to face. The women all had their make-up done and their hair in beautiful cascading curls. They wore sundresses in different pastel colors.
“If you want it to be,” Harper said, “today is your wedding day. Weston has planned everything.”
Avery put her hands over her mouth to control her sobbing. Her shoulders heaved as she took a few steps back and shook her head. This couldn’t be happening. Something this incredible didn’t happen to people like her. But it was, and now all the girls were tearing up. Harper hugged her up tight, and then others wrapped their arms around her, too.
Sniffling, Avery asked, “Will you be my bridesmaids? I want all of you to be up there with me.”
“Of course,” Harper answered. “We’re your crew. There is nowhere else we’d rather be. Now,” she murmured, easing away. “No more tears because your make-up will be shot to hell. Are we doing this?”
Avery laughed thickly and nodded her head. “Yeah, we’re doing this. Today is my wedding day.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Avery’s hands were shaking so bad the bouquet of wild flowers in her hands made a rustling sound. She caught a glimpse of her reflection in the window of the Bryson City Town Hall. The final scavenger hunt clue had led her here.
The dress fit snugly, emphasizing her figure, and Harper had done a quick, temporary hem of the bottom so it wasn’t too long. It was fitted and flared out just below her thighs. Alana had done her hair in curls, pinned shining tresses with pearl clips, and Lexi had re-done her make-up.
Avery felt like a princess. She sighed and wondered what was taking so long. Harper had asked her to wait here for some cue to make her way through the doors. Maybe Weston hadn’t been able to secure the last-minute wedding license as he’d hoped.
The door behind her opened with a pretty ding of the bell. She turned and froze.
Weston’s fearsome father, Beaston, strode toward her, his bright, inhuman gaze locked on hers. For a moment, she seized in fear, but he smiled and took her empty hand in his rough, calloused palm.
“You don’t have no worthy daddy to walk you down the aisle,” he murmured. “Weston said you wanted a quiet wedding, just you and him, but I wanted more. My Ana wants to see her boy married.” Beaston shifted his weight and dropped his eyes to Avery’s flowers. “You smell scared, but you don’t have to be. I won’t hurt you. My boy loves you.” He lifted that terrifying gaze back to her, but he angled his face, giving her his neck. “I only have one raven boy, and he had my heart from the first second I laid eyes on him. My Ana gave me girls after Weston, all bears. So you see,” he said softly, “you will be my only raven girl. You can’t be the daughter of my blood, but you can be the daughter of my heart. You take good care of my boy. You will make him feel steady when the visions get bad, and you’ll keep Harper from putting him down. You’ll save him, and he’ll fix your inside scars. I don’t want you going down the aisle alone when you meet him. I want to be the one to walk you.”
Avery bit her lip hard so she wouldn’t lose it. She’d been terrified of Beaston and shifters like him all her life, and now he was telling her she was his girl. Her own flesh-and-blood father had never declared as much. Jerkily, she nodded, and slipped her hand into the crook of his strong arm. “I would be honored,” she whispered.
Beaston gave her a crooked smile, one that looked so much like Weston’s, and pushed the door open.
Her eyes locked on Weston, waiting in front of the Justice of the Peace in a dark suit, his smile stunned and taking up his whole face. Her lip trembled as Beaston led her past the tiny crowd. Mom was standing next to Aviana, tears in her eyes. She must’ve defied Dad to be here, and for that, Avery was so proud of her. On the other side, Officer Ryan and Officer Hammond stood out of uniform with their hands clasped in front of them, easy smiles on their faces. Kane stood leaned against the far wall, hands in his pockets, his sunglasses on, and a slight smile curving up his lips. He nodded a greeting, and she waved her flowers gently at him. Up front, the Bloodrunners stood for her and Weston, looking so proud, as though she was a welcome member.
Everything was perfect.
She kissed Beaston gently on the cheek before he left to stand by his mate, and then Avery handed Harper her bouquet of wildflowers. With a happy sigh, Avery slipped her hands into Weston’s. And as she looked up into his eyes, lost in how deeply she loved him, they repeated the simple vows, and each said their I do.
Weston kissed her for so long Ryder told them to “get a room.” Avery giggled against her mate’s lips when he lifted her off her feet and hugged her tightly. The others were clapping and whistling, and Avery had never been happier than in this moment.
They signed the certificate, Avery’s heart banging against her chest the entire time. She was married to the man of her dreams. No, neither one of them was perfect, but they were perfect for each other.
“I’m starving,” Weston said after a few pictures.
“I’m hungry, too, and it
would be fun to go out to eat all dressed up,” Avery said.
“I could eat like…seven cows of steak,” Ryder announced, reviewing pictures on the camera.
“Gross,” Lexi teased from where she was hugging his waist.
“I have one last surprise,” Weston murmured against Avery’s ear.
“More surprises? Weston, you’ve already given me the best day of my life.”
“Best day of our lives, Ave.” He grabbed her hand and led her across the street, the others following and chattering happily. Up a few shops, he pulled her into a fancy looking restaurant on the corner called The Cork and Bean Bistro. It looked unassuming enough on the outside, but inside, it was beautiful. Rustic iron chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and the walls were paneled in polished wood. There was a bar along the back wall with three tall chairs in front of it, and chalkboards with drink specials and sprawling mirrors adorned the wooden walls. The tables looked hand-carved, and the chairs were all made of polished thick wooden branches. Avery would’ve never guessed this gem lay hidden in the heart of this quaint town.
A server was waiting for them and smiled brightly when she saw Weston. “Perfect timing. We just opened up the kitchen to serve dinner for your party. Right this way,” she murmured.
Weston led them into a back room where the tables had been pushed away from the center of the room and soft music played over the speakers. Two of the walls were covered in the same polished wood as the bar room, but one was made of exposed red brick. A huge iron chandelier hung above, and matching mirrors and sconces decorated the wall. The last wall was made of windows, and natural light streamed in, casting a beautiful glow on the wooden floors and tables.
“You have this room for three hours,” the server said to Avery with a beaming smile. “We don’t usually do private parties, but your man was very persuasive. You got yourself a good one.”
“He paid her to say that,” Ryder joked.
“Shut up,” Weston said, shoving his friend in the shoulder. He twirled Avery onto the dancefloor and chuckled, his eyes on her smiling lips. “It’s just like my dream.”
She laughed and slid her hands up around his neck, swaying side to side with him. “Well, I didn’t even have enough imagination to dream of something this amazing. You listened to me. You gave me the wedding I told you I wanted. And I didn’t have to plan or stress. I just had to get dressed and show up. You’re so fucking awesome. Best husband ever.” She squealed and repeated it. “Husband! You’re my husband. I can’t believe this. After everything we’ve been through…”
“Woman, you fought for me. You hung on when I wasn’t worth hanging onto. I’ll spend the rest of my life hanging on to you back.”
Avery lowered her voice and teased, “You keep talking like that, and I’ll let you fuck my boobs again.”
Weston arched his dark eyebrows high. “By the way, they look amazing in this dress.” His eyes glazed over as he stared. “All big and pushed up to your chin. Hide my boner.”
She cracked up as he pulled her closer and nipped her neck.
“Weston, Avery, what are you drinking?” Wyatt asked from beside the server.
“Champagne,” Avery said.
“Ew, no.” Wyatt scrunched up his face. “She’ll have a long island iced tea.”
“I’ll have the same,” Lexi and Alana said at the same time. Oh, it was going to be one of those parties.
Weston snorted, and Avery giggled. “This is so freaking perfect. It’s exactly how I would want it to be. Just me and you and the most important people in our lives.”
“Getting drunk,” Weston said, his eyes dancing. “We’ll be lucky if they don’t kick us out of this place.”
“Harper is drinking orange juice. She’ll keep us in line.” Avery hoped.
Their alpha pulled Wyatt onto the dance floor, and now they were slow dancing side-to-side next to Avery and Weston. Wyatt had his hand resting on the tiny swell of Harper’s stomach, and he was murmuring low against her ear. Harper had the sweetest smile on her lips as she hugged her mate closer.
Lexi and Ryder were dancing inappropriately, and Alana was grinning up at Aaron as they two-stepped, the scar on her lip stretching with how happy she looked. Beaston, Mom, and Aviana were sitting at a table, talking easily. She had a feeling Aviana would be a good support for mom in the coming months.
“I don’t know how I got so lucky,” Avery murmured.
Weston frowned at where Lexi was doing a shimmy dance with her butt against Ryder’s pelvis. “Yeah, super lucky.”
Avery swatted his shoulder. “You know what I mean.”
He ran his fingertip lightly over her claiming mark and then the scar from the glass below it. “So you don’t have any regrets?”
Avery shook her head and looked around, still in disbelief that this day was hers. Didn’t Weston see? She’d been hollow before. She’d been a shell, and he’d given her so much, filled her up with emotions she didn’t know existed. He’d given her himself, his heart, and then he’d gone and done even more. He’d given her friends who had come to her aid, no questions asked. He’d given her a place in the best damn crew in the entire world. He’d given her confidence and made her want to be stronger. He’d gone to battle for her, banished her ghosts, banished the ones who had hurt her.
He’d pulled her from the mud, cleaned her feathers, and told her to rise up, little phoenix.
And because of him, she had.
“Of course I have no regrets. I’m right where I belong.” She traced the silver claw mark scars on his neck. “We fought for each other, Weston. I love every mark on me and every mark on you. You laid your body over mine, under the swinging blade of an ax, just to make sure I lived. Just to save me from pain. Just to make sure I was okay. Every mark on our bodies is proof that we’re in this. No matter what comes now, we’ll face it together, for always.”
Her mother had used those words once when she’d admitted Avery was born to betray the Novak Raven. She’d hated them then, but now she was taking them back.
The ravens had failed.
Avery hadn’t been born to betray Weston.
She’d been born to love him. For always.
Weston leaned down and kissed her claiming mark, then kissed the mark from the shard of glass. And then he straightened, cupped her neck gently, and pressed his lips to hers.
Resting his forehead against Avery’s, he softly repeated her oath. “For always.”
Up Next in This Series
Kane gets his story in
Blackwing Dragon
Coming August 2016
New Release Newsletter Sign-Up
For new releases, exclusive sneak peeks, and giveaways, sign up for T. S. Joyce’s Bear Shifter Romance Newsletter HERE.
Want More of these Characters?
The Harper’s Mountains series is being written as a standalone series, but if you would like more of these characters, check out T. S. Joyce’s bestselling Saw Bears, Fire Bears, and Gray Back Bears series, starting with Lumberjack Werebear (Saw Bears, 1).
Reading Order for Damon’s Mountains
Lumberjack Werebear (Saw Bears, 1), Woodcutter Werebear (Saw Bears, 2), Timberman Werebear (Saw Bears, 3), Sawman Werebear (Saw Bears, 4), Bear My Soul (Fire Bears, 1), Axman Werebear (Saw Bears, 5), Bear the Burn (Fire Bears, 2), Bear the Heat (Fire Bears, 3), Woodsman Werebear (Saw Bears, 6), Lumberman Werebear (Saw Bears, 7), Gray Back Bad Bear (Gray Back Bears, 1), Gray Back Alpha Bear (Gray Back Bears, 2), Gray Back Ghost Bear (Gray Back Bears, 3), Gray Back Broken Bear (Gray Back Bears, 4), Lowlander Silverback (Gray Back Bears, 5), Last Immortal Dragon (Gray Back Bears, 6), A Very Beastly Christmas (Gray Back Bears, 7), Boarlander Boss Bear (Boarlander Bears, 1), Boarlander Bash Bear (Boarlander Bears, 2), Boarlander Silverback (Boarlander Bears, 3), Boarlander Beast Boar (Boarlander Bears, 4), Boarlander Cursed Bear (Boarlander Bears, 5)
More Series by T. S. Joyce
Bears Fur Hire
Husband Fur Hire (Book 1)
Bear Fur Hire (Book 2)
Mate Fur Hire (Book 3)
Wolf Fur Hire (Book 4)
Dawson Fur Hire (Book 5)
Chance Fur Hire (Book 6)
Fire Bears
Bear My Soul (Book 1)
Bear the Burn (Book 2)
Bear the Heat (Book 3)
Wolf Brides
Wolf Bride (Book 1)
Red Snow Bride (Book 2)
Dawson Bride (Book 3)
Saw Bears
Lumberjack Werebear (Book 1)
Woodcutter Werebear (Book 2)
Timberman Werebear (Book 3)
Sawman Werebear (Book 4)
Axman Werebear (Book 5)
Woodsman Werebear (Book 6)
Lumberman Werebear (Book 7)
Gray Back Bears
Gray Back Bad Bear (Book 1)
Gray Back Alpha Bear (Book 2)
Gray Back Ghost Bear (Book 3)
Gray Back Broken Bear (Book 4)
Lowlander Silverback (Book 5)
Last Immortal Dragon (Book 6)
Boarlander Bears
Boarlander Boss Bear (Book 1)
Boarlander Bash Bear (Book 2)
Boarlander Silverback (Book 3)
Boarlander Beast Boar (Book 4)
Boarlander Cursed Bear (Book 5)
For More Books from this Author